Newspaper stuffing machine



1952 E. K. SMITH, JR.. ETAL 3,048,388

NEWSPAPER STUFFING MACHINE l6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 17, 1959 INVENTORS EDWIN K. SMITH, Jr. FRANK J. ANASTASIO $2M m/p/ ATT NEYS 7, 1962 E. K. SMITH, JR. ETAL 3,048,388

NEWSPAPER STUFFING MACHINE Filed July 17, 1959 1a Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Ll EDWIN 'K. SMITH. Jr.

FRANK J. ANASTASIO 7, 1962 E. K. SMITH, JR. ETAI. 3,048,388

NEWSPAPER STUFFING MACHINE l6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 17, 1959 m S m wA B T E T S N VWA MMNM 0 VSA w mKJ M A NK WM W DR EC! Y w B ONN Aug. 7, 1962 E. K. SMITH, JR. ETAI. 3,04

NEWSPAPER STUFFING MACHINE Filed July 17, 1959 16 Sheets-Sheet 4 FRANK J. ANASTAS y gw ATTORN s Aug. 7, 1962 E. K. SMITH, JR, ETAL 3,04 3

NEWSPAPER STUFFING MACHINE l6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 17, 1959 INVENTORS EDWIN K. SMITH, Jr. Y FRANK J. ANASTASIO Gam iii W E. K. SMITH, JR.. ETA]. 3,048,388

NEWSPAPER STUFFING MACHINE 16 Sheets-Sheet 6 O M S 5 S m? Y T T S N l A R EMN O W n I A K W N W A D R E F Aug. 7, 1962 Filed July 17, 1959 Q i A 1962 E. K. SMITH, JR., ETAL 3,048,388

NEWSPAPER STUF'FING MACHINE Filed July 17, 1959 16 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTORS EDWIN K- SMITH, Jr. BY FRANK J ANASTASIO ATTORZYS 1962 E. K. SMITH, JR., ETAI. 3,048,388

NEWSPAPER STUFFING MACHINE Filed July 17, 1959 16 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTORS EDWIN .K. SMITH, Jr. FRANK J. ANASTASIO ATTOR 1962 E. K. SMITH, JR.. ETAL 3,048,388

NEWSPAPER STUFFING MACHINE Filed July 17, 1959 16 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTORS E N K- SMITH Jr. F K J. ANASTASIO ATTOR YS 1952 E. K. SMITH, JR.. ETAL 3,048,388

NEWSPAPER STUFFING MACHINE Filed July 17, 1959 1e Sheets-Sheet 10 IN V EN TORS EDWIN K SMITH. Jr. FRANK J. ANASTASIO ATTO N EYS Aug. 7, 1962 E. K. SMITH, JR. ETAL 3,04

NEWSPAPER STUFFING MACHINE Filed July 1'7, 1959 16 Sheets-Sheet 11 f UIZ ATTO EYS Aug. 7, 1962 E. K. SMITH, JR, ETAI. 3,

NEWSPAPER s'ruwme MACHINE 16 Sheets-Sheet 12 Filed July 17, 1959 INVENTORS EDWIN K. SMITH, Jr.

1 1 n l 1 L. I

FRANK J- ANASTASIO gMM Q ZWMM.

ATTORN S 1962 E. K. SMITH, JR. ETAL 3,048,388

NEWSPAPER STUFFING MACHINE Filed July 17, 1959 1a Sheets-Sheet 14 ATTOR EYS 1962 E. K. SMITH, JR.. ETAL 3,048,388

NEWSPAPER STUFFING MACHINE Filed July 17, 1959 16 Sheets-Sheet l5 lllllllll EDWIN K SMITH, J. 7 1 gal? FRANK J. ANASTASICI;

ATTOR EYS 1962 E. K. SMI'TH, JR. ETAI. 3,048,388

NEWSPAPER STUFFING MACHINE l6 Sheets-Sheet 16 Filed July 1'7, 1959 INVENTORS EDWIN K. SMITH, Jr. FRANK J4 ANASTASIO ATTOR2EYS naw tates i atent @ftice 3,948,388 Patented Aug. 7, 1952 3,048,388 NEWSPAPER STUFFING MAQHINE Edwin K. Smith, In, Tarrytown, N.Y., and Frank J. Anastasio, Bergenfield, N1, assignors to Miehle-Goss-Dexter, Incorporated, Chicago, 11k, a corporation of Delaware Filed July 17, 1959, Ser. No. 827,737 Claims. (Cl. 270-57) This invention relates to a paper stuffing apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for inserting one or more sections of a newspaper into an opened section which serves as a cover or jacket for holding all the newspaper sections together for distribution convenience.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus which will efficiently stufi newspaper sections into a jacket section at an increased rate of speed over other apparatuses used for the same purpose.

Another object is to provide an improved apparatus for stuffing newspapers which is compact and occupies less floor space than other apparatuses used for this purpose and at the same time is rugged in construction and efiicient and smooth running in operation.

Another object is to provide an improved newspaper surfing machine which will continuously assemble successive groups of newspaper sections and automatically deliver and stack properly assembled groups and automatically detect and divert any misassembled groups from the stacked properly assembled groups.

Another object is to provide an improved newspaper stuffer adaptable to insert either single or multiple newspaper sections into a newspaper section which serves as a cover or a jacket.

Another object is to provide an improved newspaper stuffer having novel means for rejecting incorrectly assembled groups of newspaper sections.

Another object is to provide an improved newspaper stutter having novel means for receiving, opening and holding a newspaper section to receive one or more other newspaper sections to form a complete newspaper.

A still further object is to provide a novel means in a newspaper stuffing machine for selectively controlling the normal discharge of properly assembled newspaper sections and the rejection of misassembled newspaper sections.

A still further object is to provide an improved newspaper stuffer which will continuously assemble newspaper sections at a high rate of speed and having new and novel means for calipering each section comprising the assembled section to record and reject any defective sections without interrupting the continuous operation of the apparatus.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views,

FIG. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the entire newspaper stuffing machine, including the jacket feed hopper and the insert feed hoppers located on either side of the stufiing wheel, said view being taken on line 1-1 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a typical newspaper section;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the stuffing wheel taken on line 22 of FIG. 1, with the lower half of the stuffing wheel broken away to show the internal portion of a pocket;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the stufiing wheel taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and showing the operating cams for the beater arm and the pocket eject mechanisms;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the stuffing wheel taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2 and showing the operating cam and the linkage mechanisms for operating the pocket eject mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the stuffing wheel taken along line 55 of FIG. 2 and showing an end view of the pocket eject mechanisms together with the jacket section holding fingers;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the stuffing wheel taken along line 66 of FIG. 2 and showing the cams for controlling the vacuum to the suckers, controlling the movement of the movable sucker, controlling the move ment of the push-down finger, and controlling the movement of the hold-down finger;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal view of a pocket taken along lines 77 of FIG. 6 which lies along the leading edge of a pocket with a portion of the stuffing wheel shaft cut away to more clearly show the structure for supplying vacuum to the suckers associated with each of the pockets;

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of a stuffing wheel pocket taken along line 83 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of the structure which constitutes one wall of a pocket and taken along line 99 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary top plan view of the stuffing wheel showing the structure of the jacket section depress ing finger which sequentially reciprocates into each pocket section as each pocket section rotates past said finger;

FIG. 11 is an end elevational view of the jacket section depressing finger structure taken along line ll11 of HG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary horizontal view of one end of the wall pocket and showing the structure for supplying suction to the suckers as well as the structure for operating the movable sucker;

FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view of the mechanism which controls the vacuum to the suckers: and taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary cross sectional View of one end of a pocket and showing the mechanism for locking the reject pocket holding fingers in operating position, said view being taken on line 14-14 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line 1 515 of FIG. 14 showing an end view of the reject pocket holding finger locking mechanisms and the mechanism for actuating said locking mechanisms;

FIG. 16 is a top plan view of the calipering means associated with each hopper taken along line 16-16 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 17 is a side view of the calipering means taken along line 17-17 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a side view of the caliper circuit control switch taken along line 1818 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a side view of the calipering rolls taken along line 19-19 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 20 is an enlarged longitudinal view of the mechanism for moving each jacket section in the pocket, said mechanism being shown in the cut-away portion of FIG. 2;

FIG. 21 is a side view of the memory wheel structure with certain portions cut-away for a clearer illustration;

FIG. 22 is an end view of the memory wheel structure taken along line 22--22 of FIG. 21; and

FIG. 23 is a cross sectional view of the memory wheel pin reset plate taken along line 23-23 of FIG. 22 and more clearly showing the contour of the operating surface of said plate.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1A a newspaper section A, as used in connection with this apparatus, which comprises one or more newspaper sheets placed one on top of each other and folded longitudinally along the fold C and then folded transversely to fold C along the fold B to form two halves designated as D and B. Each newspaper section A which is to serve as a jacket or cover portion of the assembled newspaper is caused to be opened so that the halves D and E are spread apart into an opened V to receive therebetween any desired number of similarly folded newspaper sections. Throughout this specification, the term jacket section refers to a newspaper section A which will receive between the halves D and B one or more newspaper sections. The term insert section means a newspaper section A which is placed between halves D and E of the jacket section. Since all of the newspaper sections are folded in the same manner and are approximately the same shape, any section may be used as a jacket section while the balance of the sections making up a complete newspaper become the insert sections.

Throughout this specification, the term inner is used in reference to the center of the stuffing wheel 17 and the term outer is used to indicate a direction away from the center of the stuffing wheel. Thus, in referring to various mechanisms attached to or associated with this machine, an inner surface or inner end would refer to the surface or end nearest the center of the stuffing wheel and an outer surface or outer end would refer to a surface or end furthest away from the center of the stufling wheel.

FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic layout of the various elements making up the newspaper stuifing machine together with the drive mechanism for said various elements. A pair of upwardly extending plates are secured to a base 11 and are held in spaced apart relationship by spacer bars 12. Suitably mounted between plates 11 is a hopper for holding a supply of newspaper sections which are used as jackets and into which the other sections of the newspaper are inserted. The hopper also includes a mechanism for withdrawing therefrom one newspaper section at a time and the entire unit is generally designated 13. The particular structure of the hopper and means for extracting one newspaper section at a time therefrom forms no part of this invention and may be of any suitable construction such as that shown in US. Patent No. 761,496 issued to C. A. Juengst, dated May 31, 1904 or in US. Patent No. 2,159,987 issued to J. Hartmann et al. dated May 30, 1939. From the hopper 13, the jacket sections are fed into a feed roll calipering device, hereinafter to be described, and hence into feed rolls 14 and along guides 15 and into a pocket 16 of the stufling wheel generally designated as 17. The stuffing wheel 17, which will be hereinafter described in detail, generally comprises a series of horizontally extending pie-shaped pockets 16 radially disposed about the wheel shaft 18. Shaft 18 is secured at each end in a pair of upwardly extending side plates 19, shown in FIG. 2, which are held in spaced apart relation to each other by spacer bars 20 and which, in turn, are suitably secured to the base 11 and to plates 10. Positioned adjacent the other side of the smiling wheel and also suitably secured to the base 11 and to plates 19 are a pair of upwardly extending side plates 21 which are held in spaced apart relationship by spacer bars 22. Suitably secured between plates 21 are a series of six hoppers 23, 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d and 23e for holding a supply of insert sections which are to be inserted into an opened jacket section and each of which includes means for extracting one insert section at a time from each hopper. The particular structure of each hopper and means for extracting one insert section at a time from each hopper is of the same general construction as for hopper 13, as set forth above. From each of the hoppers 23, 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d and 23e, the insert sections are fed into a feed roll calipering device associated with each of said hoppers, the structure and operation of which will hereinafter be described in detail, which in turn deposits each fed and calipered insert section onto a collecting conveyor, generally designated as 40. Conveyor 40 feeds the collected insert sections into feed rolls 24 and along guides 25 and into an opened jacket section previously disposed in a pocket 16 of the stufling wheel. Also located between the side plates 21 is a discharge conveyor system generally designated as 26 to receive the correctly assembled newspaper sections as they are discharged from the stuffing wheel. Thus, it will be seen that the jacket sections are continuously fed from hopper '13, through a calipering mechanism, and into a pocket 16 of the continuously revolving stufiing wheel 17. As each pocket 16 containing a jacket section is revolved from the jacket feed station to the insert feed station, each jacket section is opened and held in a spread-apart position so that the insert sections collected on conveyor 40 from the hoppers 23, 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d and 23e will be fed into the opened jacket section, thereupon the jacket section is positively closed and pushed out of the stufiing wheel onto the discharge conveyor system. Each of the particular mechanisms used to accomplish each of these steps will be hereinafter described in detail. Also embodied in this machine is a means for registering and storing any detection of either too many or too few insert or jacket sections which is registered by any of the feed roll calipering mechanism associated with either the jacket section hopper or any of the insert section hoppers, whereby said registering and storing means will at the proper time actuate still further mechanisms which are associated with each pocket so that the misassembled newspaper sections contained in that particular pocket will not be discharged upon the conveyor system 26 but will be held in that pocket until said pocket reaches a point over a reject discharge conveyor system generally designated as 27.

The drive mechanism for this machine is generally shown in FIG. 1 as having a motor 28 which drives, through a suitable sprocket and chain mechanism, a shaft 29 which extends between side plates 10 and the ends of which are supported in suitable bearings in those plates. The jacket section feed rolls 14, the feeding mechanism for hopper 13, the reject discharge conveyor system 27 and the feed roll 262 are all driven by conventional sprocket and chain mechanisms from shaft 29. A shaft 30 extends parallel to shaft 29 and has its ends mounted in suitable bearings in side plates 10 and is drivably connected to shaft 29 by suitable chain and sprocket means. The stufling wheel 17 is drivably connected to shaft 30 by suitable chain and sprocket means. Shafts 31, 31a and 31b extend between side plates 21 and have their ends journalled in suitable bearings mounted in said side plates. A shaft 32 extends horizontally across an end of the shafts 29, 31, 31a, and 31b and has a plurality of gear portions mounted thereon which mesh with bevelled gear portions mounted on the ends of shafts 29, 31, 31a and 31!). Power is thus transmitted from shaft 29 to each of shafts 31, 31a and 31b. The insert feed rollers 24, the feed rolls and calipering mechanism for each insert hopper, the discharge conveyor system 26 and the feed mechanism for each of the hoppers 23, 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d and 23e are driven from either shaft 31, 31a or 3112 by suitable chain and sprocket drive mechanisms. The discharge conveyor system 26 is continuously operated so that it receives any properly assembled newspapers and carries the same to a continuously rotating star wheel 42 which then stacks the assembled newspapers in overlapped relationship on a conveyor 43, as shown in FIG. 1. The drive mechanisms for the stufling wheel, the jacket feed mechanism and the insert feed mechanism are so designed and their speeds so coordinated with respect to each other that as the open end of each pocket 16 on the stuffing wheel is rotated past the jacket feed station a single jacket section will be inserted therein, and when the open end of each pocket is rotated past the insert feed station the proper number of insert sections which have been collected on the conveyor 40 from each of the insert section hoppers will be inserted into said pocket. In the disclosed embodiment, there is shown one jacket section hopper and feed and calipering mechanism and six insert section hoppers and feed and calipering mechanisms. It is to be expressly understood, however, that more than six insert section hoppers or as few as one insert section hopper may be utilized within the framework of this inventive concept. Moreover, since the total thickness of newspaper sections varies a great deal a further adjustment may be desirable when using unusually thick insert sections. Under such circumstances, the supply of these unusually thick insert sections are fed very rapidly out of the respective hoppers making manual feeding of said hoppers for continuous operation extremely difficult, if not impossible. To overcome this difiiculty, the insert hopper drive mechanisms are adjusted so that said insert hopper feed and calipering mechanisms are operated at half speed while the collecting conveyor 40, the stuffing wheel 17 and the jacket section feed mechanisms are all operated at full speed. It will be understood, however, that with six insert hoppers being operated at half speed operation only a maximum of three difierent insert sections may be fed whereas under full speed operation a maximum of six diiferent insert sections may be fed. By the same token, when an unusually thick newspaper section is desired to be used as a jacket section an additional hopper may be mounted adjacent the jacket section hoppers 13, as shown in the present embodiment, in the same manner as shown for the multiple insert section hoppers together with a conveyor similar to collecting conveyor 46. Instead of providing for the multiple jacket section hoppers to be operated at one-half speed an alternate method would be to have each of said hoppers operate alternately at full speed. In this manner, a minimum number of operating personnel will be able to supply the jacket section hoppers for a continuous operation of this machine.

The general layout of the stufling wheel is best shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5. FIG. 2 has the lower half of the stuffing wheel broken away to better show the various internal mechanisms. The stufiing wheel comprises an end wall 44 which is rotatably mounted to shaft 18 by suitable bearings. Gear teeth 46 are cut in the peripheral surface of end wall 44. A sprocket 47 is mounted on shaft 30 and a chain 48 is mounted around this sprocket and the toothed peripheral surface of end wall 44 so that the stufling wheel will be rotated. The end wall 45 is generally circular and of the same diameter as the wall 44 but has radially extending slotted portions 49 at its outer peripheral edge as shown in FIG. 5. These slotted portions permit access of other mechanisms to the internal portions of the stuffing wheel as will hereinafter become apparent. Ra-dially disposed about the shaft 18 and extending between and secured to end walls 44 and 45 are 12 equally spaced pocket segments generally designated 56 and generally shown in FIG. 5. Each of the pocket segments, shown in greater detail in FIG. 8, comprises a straight wall portion 51 and a spaced apart rear wall portion 52 which forms a hollow inner area 53. The rear wall portion 52 comprises an inclined shelf area 54 and a radially inclined wall portion 55. Thus, it will be seen that each pocket area 16 is the space defined by the inclined and radially extending wall portions 54 and 55 of one pocket segment 50, the straight wall portion 51 of the adjacent pocket segment 50, and the vertically extending end walls 44 and 45.

As shown in FIG. 1, a jacket insert section is fed from hopper 13 through the feeding and calipering rolls 262, 263 and feed rollers 14 and guide in timed relation to the rotational movement of the pockets 16 about the axis 16 so that as each pocket becomes aligned with the lower end of guide 15 a jacket is deposited therein. For the purposes of this machine, the newspaper sections which are used as jacket sections are so placed in and fed from the hopper 13 that the folded edge B of each section enters the pocket first and the folded edge C is adjacent the wall end 45 of the stufiing wheel. The desirability of feeding each jacket section in this manner will become apparent as the various mechanisms comprising the stuffing wheel are described. As soon as each jacket has been fed into a pocket 16, the entire jacket section is moved toward the end Wall 45. The mechanism for accomplishing this is best shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 20. Adjustably mounted to the outside of end wall 44 of the stufiing wheel and rotatable with the wheel is an annular base 66 having four integrally formed and equally spaced radially inwardly extending hub portions 61. Slida-bly mounted through the annular base and through the end wall 44 are twelve newspaper pushers generally designated 62 each of which protrudes into the inner area of a pocket 16 of the stuifing wheel. Each of the pushers 62 are identical in construction and operation, therefore a description of one will be sufiicient for an understanding of all. As most clearly shown in FIG. 20, each of the pushers 62 comprises a slide support 63 secured at one end to the base 60 and slidably extending through an aperture in end wall 44 and into a pocket 16. Slidably mounted through support 63 is a shaft 64 having a pusher plate 65 mounted on one end and a roller 66 rotatably mounted on the other end. A cam 69 is adjustably mounted to the side plate 19 and is adjusted to protrude into the circular path of roller 66 to push each newspaper section deposited in a pocket 16 against the opposite end wall of the pocket. A spring 66 has one end afiixed to the lower edge of the plate 65 and extends through an aperture in the end wall 44 and has its other end affixed to a rearwardly extending portion 68 of the slide support 63. Thus, the plate 65 is continuously urged to the left, as shown in FIG. 20, and into contact with the end surface of support 63 and also serves to hold roller 66 into contact with the operating surface of cam 69. In order to provide a smooth and square surface against which the fold C of each jacket section may be aligned, there is provided a machined plate which is secured to the end wall 45 and which has a cross-sectional area corresponding to that of each pocket. The adjustable cam 69 is positioned in side plate 19 in the area of the jacket feed station so that after each jacket section has been inserted in a pocket 16, each roller 66 will ride up onto the surface of the cam and cause the shaft and plate 65 to move into the pocket and push the folded edge C of each jacket section against plate 70. Cam 69 can be adjusted so that at the maximum movement of pusher assembly 62, the distance between the inner surface of plate 65 and the inner surface of plate 70 is equal to the width of the jacket section. The base 60 is adjustably mounted to the outside surface of end wall 44 thereby providing an additional adjustment whereby a wider range of newspaper widths may be accommodated. Four shafts 71 having each of their ends suitably journalled in each of the hubs 61 of base 60 extend inwardly into pockets 16 through annular openings 72 in end Wall 44. Fixedly secured to each shaft 71 and adjacent the inner surface of ring 64 are sprockets 73. The balance of the external surface of each shaft 71 is provided with threads 74. Mounted in each aperture 72 is an internally threaded bushing 75 which engages the thread 74 on each shaft 71. An endless chain 76 operatively connects the sprockets 73. Thus, as chain 76 is moved all four sprockets 73 rotate and either screw the base ring 60 closer to or further away from the end wall 44. Suitable stops are provided at the ends of shaft 71 to limit the movement of base ring 60. In this manner all of the pusher assemblies 62 are moved into or out of the pockets 16 to accommodate jacket sections of varying widths. As pointed out above, this adjustment is in addition to the adjustment of the stroke of shaft 64 and pusher plate 65 which is provided through the adjustable cam 69. Each jacket section is moved in a pocket by means of the pusher 62 so that its folded edge C is in contact with and squared against the plate 70. This alignment of each jacket section in a pocket takes place simultaneously with the rotation of the pocket from the jacket feed station toward the insert feed station.

As shown in FIG. 1, the jacket half D of each aligned and squared jacket section is caused to be pushed against the wall 55 of the pocket 16 and the upper edge of the jacket half D is bent over and held in contact with the slanted surface 54 of the pocket 16. The mechanism for best showing this operation is shown in FIGS. 2, 6, 10, ll, 12 and 13. It will be observed from FIG. 1 that as each pocket 16 is rotated from the jacket feed station to the insert feed station, the wall 55 of each pocket travels from a substantially horizontal plane with the surface of wall 55 extending upwardly through an armate path to a substantially vertical plane and then back to a substantially horizontal plane with the surface of wali 55 extending downwardly at the point where the insert sections are fed into the stufling wheel. It will also be observed that each jacket section that is inserted into a pocket will have a tendency to rest upon wall 55 of each pocket until that wall has passed the vertical plane and starts toward the horizontal plane at the insert side of the stufling wheel. In order for the jacket section to be held in an opened position to receive the insert section, it is necessary to retain the jacket half D against the wall portions 55 and 54. To accomplish this purpose, there is provided for each pocket segment 50 a fixed suction cup 80 extending into a cut-out portion 81 at one edge of the wall portion 55. This fixed suction cup extends into pocket 16 a sufiicient distance so that when a vacuum is introduced into said cup and when a jacket half D is against said cup the suction cup collapses to a slight degree its outer surface lies in the same plane as the surface of wall 55. A cut-out portion 82 in the shelf surface 54 of each pocket segment 50 permits a movable sucker 83 to pass through the shelf portion 54 and into the pocket 16. Mounted on the outer surface of end wall 45 and adjacent each slotted area 49 is a supporting frame 84. A hollow tubular support 85 having the suction cup 80 connected to one end is securely fastened to the support 84 at the other end. A hollow tubular support 86 has the movable sucker 83 affixed to one end and its other end affixed to a connecting link 87. The other end of the connecting link 87 is pivotally mounted in a yoke portion 88 at the top of frame member 84. A cam follower 89 is rotatably mounted to one end of the link 87. A cam member 90 is fixedly secured to the side plate 19 by means of spacer bars 91. When the cam follower 89 is not in contact with cam 99, the movable sucker 88 is held in the position shown in FIG. 11 which is behind the plane surface of shelf 54 and removed from the pocket 16. When the cam follower 89 rides up onto cam 90, the movable sucker 89 is pivotally moved through opening 82 into the pocket 16. The distance that movable sucker 83 will move into pocket 16 is determined by the shape of cam 90. As shown in FIG. 6, the stufiing wheel is moving in a counterclockwise direction and is carrying with it the followers 89. It will be observed that the cam 90 has a rapidly rising surface followed by a gradually decreasing surface. Consequently, when follower 89 strikes the cam surface the movable sucker 83 will be rapidly moved into the pocket 16 and then gradually withdrawn to a position which is in the plane surface of shelf 54 when said movable sucker is collapsed by the application of a vacuum in said sucker and sealed by the contact of the surface of the jacket half D against said sucker. A spring 92 has one end attached to the unpivoted end of the connecting link 87 and the other end secured to the end wall 45 to hold the connecting link and cam follower in the position shown in FIG. 13 and to also constantly urge the cam follower into contact with the cam 90. It will thus be seen that the movable sucker 83, as it rides up onto the cam 90, will move out into the pocket 16 and contact the surface D of the jacket section and pull it back into contact with the inclined surface 54 of the pocket section 50.

The mechanism for supplying vacuum to the fixed sucker 80 and the movable sucker 83 is best shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 11 and 12. An annular passage 95 vertically 8 extends from the bottom surface of the supporting frame member 84 to a point just short of the top surface of said frame. An annular passage 96 extends from passage 95 and is connected to hollow support member whereby the air may be evacuated from the fixed sucker 80. An annular passage 97 in the connecting link 87 joins passage with the hollow tubular support 86 whereby air may be evacuated from the movable sucker 83. Suitable packing between link 87 and the yoke 88 provides an airtight connection as the link is pivotally moved. An annular passage 98 extends through frame 84 and intersects passage 95 at right angles. A lever arm 99 has a cylindrical portion 160, one end of which is rotatably mounted in passage 98 and has an integrally formed arm 101 extending at a right angle to portion 108. A cam follower 162 rides up onto cam 103, the cylindrical portion 160 is rotated. Extending through the center of the end of cylindrical portion 106 which is mounted in passage 98 is an annular passage 165 and a passage 106 angularly extending from passage 105 to the peripheral surface of cylindrical portion 100. A passage 167 angularly extends from a surface of frame 8 3 to passage 98. Passages 95, 185, 106 and 107 are all positioned in the same vertical plane so that upon rotation of cylindrical portion 1110 various combinations of these passages are interconnected. The lower end of passage 95 is connected to a constant vacuum source through hose 168. As shown in FIG. 13, the cam follower 102 is riding on cam 163 and in said position the passage 105 in the cylindrical portion of lever arm 99 is in a vertical position thus providing a clear passage connection between the fixed and movable suckers with the constant vacuum source in hose 108. When the cam follower 102 is moved beyond cam 103 the follower moves downwardly and rotates cylindrical portion 100 and passages 185 and 106 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 11. In such a position, passage 106 is in register with passage 95 and passage is in register with passage 107 thereby venting suckers 8t) and 83 to the atmosphere and at the same time sealing off the source of vacuum in hose 108. A spring 189 has one end attached to arm 161 and the other end attached to the end wall 45 whereby the lever arm 99 is constantly urged downwardly or clockwise as viewed in FIG. 11 and serves to hold the follower into contact with the vacuum valve cam. One end of passage 98 forms an airtight seal against the outer surface of end wall 45. Suitable packing is provided between the passage 98 and the cylindrical portion 100 to prevent leakage of the vacuum line. As best shown in FIG. 7, shaft 18 has an annular passage extending therethrough with each end suitably capped to make said passage airtight. A pipe 110 extends into the passage of shaft 18 and leads to a vacuum pump (not shown) to maintain a constant vacuum in said passage. A series of apertures 111 are radially disposed about one end of shaft 18. A bushing 112 having a recessed area 118 overlying the apertures 111 is secured to the hub of end wall 45 between said end wall and the bearing surface on shaft 18. Packing 114 is positioned at each end of the recessed area 113 and defines an airtight annular chamber 115. Twelve annular openings extending into chamber 115 are radially disposed in bushing 112. Fittings 118 are secured in openings 116 and are connected to hoses 108. Thus, as stufling wheel 17 together with bushing 112 and the hoses 108 are rotated a constant source of vacuum is supplied to each vacuum mechanism 84 at one end of each pocket. In FIG. 6 is shown the position of the fixed cam 98 for effecting the movement of sucker 83 into the pocket 16 and the fixed cam 103 for actuating the mechanism for applying vacuum to the fixed and movable suckers shown in relation .to the position of the jacket feed station. It will thus be seen that a jacket section is inserted into a pocket 16 with the jacket half D resting against wall 55 of that pocket. As wall '55 travels from a substantially hon- 

